Consumer ABCs: News & Current Affairs

The Economist UK remains Britain’s most popular news and current affairs title – however, readers should note that it has changed the way it reports its ABC data, consolidating its six regional certificates into two: one ‘print’ certificate and one ‘digital publications’ certificate.

This was done, in part, to reflect the way its readers choose their subscription packages and means it reports differently to other titles.

Under the new reporting methodology The Economist’s combined average global circulation is 1,657,800. Meanwhile, the UK digital circulation is at 150,000 (up 69.2% YoY). UK print circulation stands at 156,700 (down 5.3% YoY).

Meanwhile, Private Eye follows closely behind with a circulation figure of nearly 234,000 – although it had a bad start to the year reporting a -4.8% PoP and -6% YoY decline, it managed to reduce its decline rates to -0.44% PoP and -5.2% YoY in H2 2018.

Dennis Publishing Ltd’s The Week also reported declines in the second half of 2018 – but much more substantial: -14.6% PoP and -25.4% YoY. Yet the title’s youthful offshoot, The Week Junior, recorded positive growth figures and was up 2.15% PoP and 26% YoY, reaching just over 60,500.

Elsewhere, The Spectator‘s total figures (excluding Australia) also reported solid growth, up 6.4% PoP and 18% YoY to over 100,500.